Why bury hardware clothe? Use chain-link fence on top of grass?

[VallejoSheltie]

I know the common wisdom is to bury HC around the perimeter of your coop, however that won't work so well with my tractor.

I am planning on putting down a piece of chainlink fence on top of the grass, with it extending a foot or so past the 2x4 framing of the tractor.
I would think it difficult for a raccoon to lift the tractor to crawl underneath, and the large openings in the fence enough to give the chickens a decent ability to graze.
And when I want to move my tractor, I just life it, move the fencing and then drop the tractor on top of it.

Smaller sizes of used chainlink doesn't seem to hard to come by moderately cheaply.

Am I missing something?

 

[Rich386]

I know the common wisdom is to bury HC around the perimeter of your coop, however that won't work so well with my tractor.

I am planning on putting down a piece of chainlink fence on top of the grass, with it extending a foot or so past the 2x4 framing of the tractor.
I would think it difficult for a raccoon to lift the tractor to crawl underneath, and the large openings in the fence enough to give the chickens a decent ability to graze.
And when I want to move my tractor, I just life it, move the fencing and then drop the tractor on top of it.

Smaller sizes of used chain link doesn't seem to hard to come by moderately cheaply.

Am I missing something?

Your not missing anything the idea is to keep a predator from digging their way in. With a coop HC is what a lot of people do with a tractor you have few options and yours seem OK.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

As long as weasels aren't a problem, you should be okay. The larger openings could be a problem with weasels.

 

[VallejoSheltie]

OK.

Don't think weasels are much of an issue around here South of Napa.
My Sheltie chased off a couple of adolescent fox recently, and I live caught a possum last year.
Hawks or falcons usually flying in the hills here to.

 

[Trefoil]

Coons would be able to get their "hands" through chain link. Also between the bottom of the coop and the chain link. They will pull a full grown chicken to pieces if they get a "hand " on it.

 

[VallejoSheltie]

Trefoil, yes I've heard that they can do that, nasty trick.
However the chain-link is flat on the ground and my tractor and coop have HC around the sides and top.
Outside of a few areas where the ground is not perfectly flat, I don't see anything stick an arm between chain-link on the ground and a horizontally running 2x4, especially in the day.
At night, my chickens are going to be in a coop 2'+ in the air.

Sounds like it is not a bad idea, as long as one doesn't have weasels/martins, etc in their area. I'm in the hills.